MOVIE POSTER

MOVIE SUMMARY
The film opens to a fictionalized Daniel Defoe being offered to read a castaway's autobiography. He
grudgingly obliges and begins to get engrossed in the narrative.
Robinson Crusoe (Pierce Brosnan) is a Scottish gentleman with experience in the Royal Navy and the
British army. He accidentally kills his lifelong friend Patrick (Damian Lewis) in a duel over his childhood
love Mary. Patrick's brothers arrive and threaten Crusoe, but his page manages to buy time for an escape.
Fleeing back to Mary, Crusoe subsequently ends up leaving for a year so that Mary can attempt to smooth
over relations with Patrick's family.
Crusoe joins the merchant marine transporting assorted cargoes between ports in the Pacific, Indian and
Atlantic oceans. He chronicles the ship's journeys at the behest of the captain until a typhoon shipwrecks
him near the coast of New Guinea.
On his first day ashore on the island he buries other crew members who had washed up on the
surrounding beaches. The next day he headed to the ship, which had beached itself on a reef. He salvages
tools, supplies and weapons from the ship. Crusoe also frees the captain's corgi Skipper from a supply
room. Crusoe begins to acclimate himself to the island while hoping for a passing European ship. One day
a ship finally appears, but Crusoe notices it too late to be rescued. Crusoe resolves to acclimate himself to
the island and moves inland, building a shelter and growing food.
One day he hears ominous drums and human voices. Investigating the noises he finds a tribe from a
nearby island making human sacrifices. After two prisoners have been sacrificed Crusoe intervenes by
firing his weapon, which allows the third prisoner (played by William Takaku) to escape. Later he meets
the escaped native and attempts to befriend him. Cultural and language barriers prevent him from
communicating before they are attacked by a group of the tribesmen. He witnesses the native cut out the
heart of a defeated enemy and calls him a savage heathen before fleeing to his shelter and preparing a
defense.
Days later Crusoe falls into a snare laid by the native. Crusoe communicates the danger and potency of
his firearms on a bat, which allows them to begin communicating. He names the man Friday and has
himself referred to as Master. Within six months Friday has learned the basics of English, but when
Crusoe attempts to convert him to Christianity, Friday refuses and an argument ensues. Friday separates
himself from Crusoe. Missing the companionship, Crusoe attempts to make peace with Friday.
Reunited, the two set a trap for the tribe of natives who attempted to sacrifice Friday before. Once they
arrive Crusoe lights a fuse leading to a load of gunpowder, but Skipper chases after the lit fuse and also
dies in the explosion. At Skipper's funeral Crusoe gains a deeper appreciation for Friday's religion.
Later Crusoe decides they must leave the island due to an impending attack by the native tribe. Friday
mentions that he has heard of New Britain. He says he cannot take Crusoe to his home island because he
is considered dead for being a sacrifice and he cannot go to New Britain because the Europeans enslave
his people. Friday subsequently learns that "Master" is not Crusoe's real name, but an indicator of
2

enslavement and once again leaves Crusoe, who subsequently attempts to build a canoe to get to New
Britain by himself.
A typhoon arrives while Crusoe has nearly finished his boat. Friday returns and accepts that Crusoe had
decided not to make him a slave. The two attempt to salvage their crops and wildlife, but the typhoon
destroys them as well as Crusoe's canoe. The pair set traps to defend the island, but expect to die in the
defense.
The tribesmen arrive in force. Crusoe and Friday manage to defend the island, but Crusoe is shot by an
arrow. Friday decides to try to save Crusoe by taking him to his home island. Upon arriving there Friday's
tribe capture Crusoe, believing him to have come to enslave the people. They force Crusoe to fight Friday
to the death for his freedom. After sparing Friday, Friday is about to land a killing blow when he is hit by
a bullet. But Crusoe becomes upset because Friday was his friend. A European scout party rescues Crusoe
and returns him to Scotland where he is reunited with Mary.

PLOT
The film opens to a fictionalized Daniel Defoe being offered to read a castaway's autobiography. He
grudgingly obliges and begins to get engrossed in the narrative.
Robinson Crusoe (Pierce Brosnan) is a Scottish gentleman with experience in the Royal Navy and the
British army. He accidentally kills his lifelong friend Patrick (Damian Lewis) in a duel over his childhood
love Mary. Patrick's brothers arrive and threaten Crusoe, but his page manages to buy time for an escape.
Fleeing back to Mary, Crusoe subsequently ends up leaving for a year so that Mary can attempt to smooth
over relations with Patrick's family.
Crusoe joins the merchant marine transporting assorted cargoes between ports in the Pacific, Indian and
Atlantic oceans. He chronicles the ship's journeys at the behest of the captain until a typhoon shipwrecks
him near the coast of New Guinea.
On his first day ashore on the island he buries other crew members who had washed up on the
surrounding beaches. The next day he headed to the ship, which had beached itself on a reef. He salvages
tools, supplies and weapons from the ship. Crusoe also frees the captain's corgi Skipper from a supply
room. Crusoe begins to acclimate himself to the island while hoping for a passing European ship. One day
a ship finally appears, but Crusoe notices it too late to be rescued. Crusoe resolves to acclimate himself to
the island and moves inland, building a shelter and growing food. One day he hears ominous drums and
human voices. Investigating the noises he finds a tribe from a nearby island making human sacrifices.
After two prisoners have been sacrificed Crusoe intervenes by firing his weapon, which allows the third
prisoner (played by William Takaku) to escape. Later he meets the escaped native and attempts to
befriend him. Cultural and language barriers prevent him from communicating before they are attacked
by a group of the tribesmen. He witnesses the native cut out the heart of a defeated enemy and calls him a
savage heathen before fleeing to his shelter and preparing a defense. Days later Crusoe falls into a snare
laid by the native. Crusoe communicates the danger and potency of his firearms on a bat, which allows
them to begin communicating. He names the man Friday and has himself referred to as Master. Within six
months Friday has learned the basics of English, but when Crusoe attempts to convert him to Christianity,
Friday refuses and an argument ensues. Friday separates himself from Crusoe. Missing the
companionship, Crusoe attempts to make peace with Friday. Reunited, the two set a trap for the tribe of
natives who attempted to sacrifice Friday before. Once they arrive Crusoe lights a fuse leading to a load
of gunpowder, but Skipper chases after the lit fuse and also dies in the explosion. At Skipper's funeral
Crusoe gains a deeper appreciation for Friday's religion.

Later Crusoe decides they must leave the island due to an impending attack by the native tribe. Friday
mentions that he has heard of New Britain. He says he cannot take Crusoe to his home island because he
is considered dead for being a sacrifice and he cannot go to New Britain because the Europeans enslave
his people. Friday subsequently learns that "Master" is not Crusoe's real name, but an indicator of
enslavement and once again leaves Crusoe, who subsequently attempts to build a canoe to get to New
Britain by himself. A typhoon arrives while Crusoe has nearly finished his boat. Friday returns and
accepts that Crusoe had decided not to make him a slave. The two attempt to salvage their crops and
wildlife, but the typhoon destroys them as well as Crusoe's canoe. The pair set traps to defend the
island, but expect to die in the defense. The tribesmen arrive in force. Crusoe and Friday manage to
defend the island, but Crusoe is shot by an arrow. Friday decides to try to save Crusoe by taking him to
his home island. Upon arriving there Friday's tribe capture Crusoe, believing him to have come to enslave
the people. They force Crusoe to fight Friday to the death for his freedom. After sparing Friday, Friday is
about to land a killing blow when he is hit by a bullet. But Crusoe becomes upset because Friday was his
friend. A European scout party rescues Crusoe and returns him to Scotland where he is reunited with
Mary.

FAVORITE PART

My favorite part is that when Robinson Crusoe meets Friday, a tribesman whom he saves from being
sacrificed. Initially, he is thrilled to finally have a friend, but he has to defend himself against the tribe
who uses the island to sacrifice tribesman to their gods. During time their relationship changes from
master-slave to a mutual respected friendship despite their difference in culture and religion.

WHY?

We, humans, need friendship and good relationships with others. We cannot lived alone. We need a
human companion. Just like Crusoe, being deprived of human company, he finds comfort and friendship
with Friday. Crusoe did not treat Friday as a slave but he preferred him as a friend. As a good friend,
Friday paid back in return what good deeds Crusoe done to him. As of today, loyalty and trust are the
factors in a friendship. We cannot easily find a true person who will care and love us the way we treat
them.